Hump Day Happiness

This past Friday night we attended The Hangout Beach, Music & Arts festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Though we got there a little late to enjoy the entire festival (those darn jobs holding us back from our weekends! ;P) we did catch the Zac Brown Band who had a real New Orleans jazz band on stage with them the whole night. I've always been fascinated by the power of live jazz, especially the improtu nature that creates so much of the music. Morbid as it may sound, I've always wanted to have a full New Orleans jazz band and a gospel choir to sing at my funeral, whenever that day may come! :) "Oh, When the Saints... Go Marching in.."

But I digress... the jazz band made my night and they played all the way out of the concert that night so I was able to catch these shots of them as they headed out. I have a special love for New Orleans (this past Mardi Gras I would get up early every morning and walk Bourbon Street for miles to photograph in the morning sunlight while everyone else slept off their Hurricanes until noon...) but the without the jazz, the Big Easy just wouldn't be the same. This Hump Day's Happiness is the music of the New Orleans jazz bands... download a bit onto your iPod (or whatever you have... buy a record, make a mixtape, etc.) and let yourself slip into the sunny South for awhile... I can almost taste the beignets now...